Fwd: [Openal] RE: Openal Digest, Vol 23, Issue 21

[Ed]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ed <icelus2k5 at gmail.com>
Date: 29 Feb 2008 22:53
Subject: Re: [Openal] RE: Openal Digest, Vol 23, Issue 21
To: Jason Daly <jdaly at ist.ucf.edu>


On 29/02/2008, Ed <icelus2k5 at gmail.com> wrote:
 > > The original idea probably came from OpenGL.  In OpenGL, you can have
 >  >  multiple contexts, each context output to a different window.  The same
 >  >  thing could be applied to sound cards.  Despite the fact that most
 >  >  consumer-level sound cards only have one output, there are lots of
 >  >  pro-level sound cards that have multiple independent outputs.  This is
 >  >  one area where multiple contexts on the same device makes sense (and it
 >  >  also suggests why most of the current implementations only support one).


Following up on this thought though: how exactly would that work? I
 don't have any context parameters to select WHICH independent output
 I'm getting. Presumably here we're talking about physical plugs in the
 back of a machine, so if I'm going to go to that level of trouble, I
 surely want to be able to pick what independent output I get. Why
 would I use contexts for this and not just have the drivers report
 multiple different devices for the same, multi-output device. Wouldn't
 this be clearer and work in more situations (e.g. it makes the similar
 case of multiple sound cards each with a single output line more
 analogous). This is just for my own curiosity(!)


 Ed